The ground shook as they thundered forward, each step like a drumbeat of doom. Their claws gleamed, their snarls splitting the air.
The first one leapt, its massive frame blotting out the sky, fangs bared to attack and rip off their heads—
Ling Yu moved.
Her dagger flashed in a clean arc, embedding into the ape's exposed throat. Blood fountained, hot and thick, spraying across her pale skin. The beast crashed to the ground, thrashing.
Before it stilled, she was already moving again, blade carving another.
Behind her, Xian Yu gasped, his healing threads flaring desperately as her skin split, her muscles tore, then mended instantly beneath his frantic light.
"Faster," she murmured, her tone calm even as claws raked across her arm. "Don't hesitate. If I fall, we all fall."
Her words snapped him into focus. His eyes widened, then narrowed, his healing surging sharper, steadier.
Don't think. Just heal. Heal her, and she'll handle the rest.
Chaos erupted.
